More than 40 percent of electricity use in office buildings is attributed to artificial lighting. Turn off the lights when leaving any room, switch off power strips and unplug electrical devices when not in use.

2 June 2016 – Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of droughts in the Caribbean, so countries in the region must enhance their capabilities to deal with this and other extreme weather-related challenges to ensure food security and hunger eradication, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said in a new report.

With irrigation use becoming more widespread in the Caribbean, countries’ fresh-water supplies will become increasingly important. Photo: FAO

“Drought ranks as the single most common cause of severe food shortages in developing countries, so this is a key issue for Caribbean food security,” said Deep Ford, FAO Regional Coordinator in the Caribbean.

According to Belize’s policy targets, the country intends to increase its share of renewable energy. Bioenergy, especially Biogas, is not being utilized on industrial levels. To help achieve this goal and build capacity in this sector, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) in cooperation with GIZ REETA is offering a free of charge BIOENERGY Course at its training Centre in the country’s capital, Belmopan.

Participants who successfully complete the course will be able to plan, prepare and conduct Bioenergy training seminars and implement bioenergy projects to high standards and will receive a certificate. These seminars provide an excellent opportunity for professional development in the renewable energy field, while also ensuring the sustainable use of the knowledge.

The course at the Centre will be held for 15 persons, so early application is vital for participation. To apply directly for the sessions contact Henrik Personn at (501-822-1104) or via hpersonn@caribbeanclimate.bz.

With more than 170 participating countries and over 1500 project submissions annually, the Energy Globe Award is a prestigious environmental prize worldwide. It distinguishes projects regionally, nationally and globally that conserve resources such as energy or utilize renewable or emission-free sources. The 2016 National Winner of the Energy Globe Award in Belize installed a mobile biogas laboratory at the University of Belize’s Belmopan Campus in order to build capacity in the biogas sector. The submission for the Project “Biogas Laboratory at UB” was made by Henrik Personn, the Renewable Energy Expert at the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). The CCCCC is awarded the Energy Globe for Belize (for the project).

CARICOM Biogas Laboratory

In its efforts, the CCCCC has been granted the support within the GIZ – REETA program to introduce a mobile biogas Laboratory at the University of Belize (UB) for use within CARICOM Members states and also…